Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Military Escalation in Yemen after Israeli Airstrikes

The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Military Escalation in Yemen after Israeli Airstrikes

The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia expressed its deep concern on Sunday over the latest military escalation in Yemen after the Israeli attacks in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The statement stressed that these developments "exacerbate the current tension in the region”.
In a statement on X platform, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The Ministry is following with great concern the military escalation in Yemen following the Israeli attacks that targeted Hodeidah province on Saturday, July 20, 2024,” emphasizing that “these developments aggravate the current tension in the region and undermine ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza”.
The ministry also called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to distance the region and its people from the dangers of war. It also called on the international community and active influential parties to fulfill their responsibilities to end conflicts in the region.
Moreover, the ministry affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's continued efforts to end the war on Gaza and affirmed its continuous support for peace efforts in Yemen to spare its people more suffering and achieve security and peace in the region.
On Sunday, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, affirmed that Saudi Arabia has no relation to or participation in the targeting of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah. 
He emphasized in a statement posted on the ministry's X platform account that Saudi Arabia will not allow its airspace to be violated from any direction.
 



MWL, GCC Hail ICJ's Advisory Opinion on Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories

A placard reading "Free Palestine, end Israel Occupation" is pictured on Parliament square, central London, on June 8, 2024 at the end of "National March for Gaza", calling to "end the genocide" and "stop arming Israel". (AFP)
A placard reading "Free Palestine, end Israel Occupation" is pictured on Parliament square, central London, on June 8, 2024 at the end of "National March for Gaza", calling to "end the genocide" and "stop arming Israel". (AFP)
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MWL, GCC Hail ICJ's Advisory Opinion on Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories

A placard reading "Free Palestine, end Israel Occupation" is pictured on Parliament square, central London, on June 8, 2024 at the end of "National March for Gaza", calling to "end the genocide" and "stop arming Israel". (AFP)
A placard reading "Free Palestine, end Israel Occupation" is pictured on Parliament square, central London, on June 8, 2024 at the end of "National March for Gaza", calling to "end the genocide" and "stop arming Israel". (AFP)

The Muslim World League (MWL) welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, affirming the illegality of the Israeli presence in the occupied Palestinian territories for 57 years.
In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa stressed the importance of this decision, which is a positive step towards the human and legal right of the Palestinian people to reach a just and comprehensive solution to their cause and to ensure obtaining their legitimate rights to self-determination and establishing their independent state in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, SPA reported.

The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, also welcomed the opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, saying that it confirms and reinforces the Palestinian people's attainment of their legitimate and legal rights in accordance with international and United Nations resolutions to regain the Palestinian territories seized by the Israeli occupation forces
He pointed out that the settlement decisions and attempts to change the geography carried out by the Israeli occupation forces are illegitimate measures that do not enjoy any regional or international recognition, and do not change anything on the ground, stressing that the seized Palestinian territories will remain Palestinian and an inherent right of the Palestinian people.
Moreover, Albudaiwi reiterated the firm stances of the GCC countries towards the Palestinian issue, and support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to obtain their state.